UNICEF warned on Sunday about the severity of the cholera outbreak in Sudan, especially in the North Darfur region, calling for immediate action.

As of July 30, 2025, the total toll of cholera in Darfur was 2,140 infections and at least 80 deaths. Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative in Sudan, commented, “Despite being preventable and easily treatable, cholera is ripping through Tawila and elsewhere in Darfur, threatening children’s lives, especially the youngest and most vulnerable.”

As a disease, cholera can be transmitted through contaminated drinking water and food containing pathogen-carrying bacteria. Given the lack of proper sanitation, clean drinking water, and food facilities, conditions conducive to the spread of cholera have been created. Conditions of hunger and famine have been present in Sudan since the beginning of 2024, with malnutrition among children increasing alarmingly.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan is responsible for the creation and worsening of many of these health risks. In April 2023, a war began between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and continues to this date.

Due to this conflict, the entry of humanitarian aid into Sudan has also been difficult. Hospitals and health facilities have been shelled, and the means of transport also remain blocked. More than 11 million people have already fled Sudan due to the adverse consequences of the ongoing war. The UN, as well as multiple human rights organizations, have repeatedly called on the warring factions to allow the passage of aid and food distribution.

A cholera outbreak was declared in Sudan in August 2024. Since then, over than 50,000 cases have been confirmed across various regions, with more than 1,350 deaths.